For Writers

I’ve been writing since childhood, but it took the support of other writers to help me get to the point where I could call myself a writer and believe it, and still longer to proclaim it to the world. It is not easy to attempt a creative life, but for those of us who do, we understand we have an obligation, and a desire, to hold out a hand to help the next person up. I made a wonderful choice in 2011 to begin an MFA program at The Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College where I found a writing family to last a lifetime. They have seen me through not only writing trials, but unbelievably difficult life events. And they will be with me to celebrate the happy times and successes also. The fabulously wise director of Solstice, Meg Kearney, instructs participants of each residency class to fall in love with the work of another writer as an alternative to jealousy and envy. I have seen this principle at work in Solstice graduates as we champion each other and our various projects. A success for one is a success for all. Meg, and the Solstice program, also believe in “cross-pollination” for writers—poets learn from fiction writers, creative nonfiction informs a picture book. Writers learn to write by reading widely and expanding their understanding of all writing.

So, there we have the guidelines I will follow for this page: I intend to post links, quotes, thoughts, book recommendations, and anything else that strikes me as relevant to support other creative people on their creating journey. Come with me. We are in this together!

BOOKS

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions for a Writing Life by Anne Lamott

Fire Up Your Writing Brain by Susan Reynolds

The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein

The Uses if Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim

The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall

Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James